Bill S. HanssonHow Do Insects Use Their Sense of Smell and How Does It Function?

Bill S. Hansson
How Do Insects Use Their Sense of Smell and How Does It Function?

Bill S. Hansson is Vice President of the Max Planck Society and Director of the Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena, Germany. Furthermore, he is a guest professor and partner in the ICE3 Linnaeus research program at The Swedish University for Agricultural Sciences in Alnarp. Hansson focuses his research on neurophysiological and behavioral aspects of insect-insect and insect-plant interactions where he takes a special interest in insect olfaction.
Bill Hansson is a fellow of several national and international science academies, such as the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and the Academia Europaea, and an Honorary Professor at Friedrich Schiller University Jena.

"The Max Planck Society is Germany's most successful research organization. Since its establishment in 1948, no fewer than 18 Nobel laureates have emerged from the ranks of its scientists, putting it on a par with the best and most prestigious research institutions worldwide. The more than 15,000 publications each year in internationally renowned scientific journals are proof of the outstanding research work conducted at Max Planck Institutes – and many of those articles are among the most-cited publications in the relevant field." (Source)

Institute

"The Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena investigates the role, diversity and characteristics of chemical signals which control the interactions between organisms and their environment. Scientists from the fields of ecology, biochemistry, organic chemistry, entomology, ethology, and insect physiology work closely together in the Institute in order to understand the complex system of chemical communication. Their research focuses on the co-evolution of plants and insects. The fact that plants usually spend their entire lives in one place forces them to use effective strategies to guarantee that their offspring are spread and also to protect themselves against pests and diseases. To this effect, plants have developed a wide range of chemical signalling compounds that enable them to optimise their adaptation to their respective environments. These so-called allelochemicals are used to, among other things, attract pollinators, fend off herbivores and pests, fight diseases and keep unwelcome competitors away. Plants also synthesise mixtures of many organic substances that have a deterrent or toxic effect on herbivores. As a countermeasure, insects that feed on plants adapt accordingly and, for their part, try to overcome plant defences." (Source)

Map

Insects are very smell-dependent which makes them prime candidates for studying how the sense of smell works and how it influences behavior. In this video, BILL S. HANSSON describes how the research team studied the olfactory system of flies. Following the whole process from molecule detection and the reaction of the nerves to the outcome of behavior the researchers found a line in the fly's brain that identifies bad odors and leads the fly to avoid these smells as they indicate something is toxic. Because the olfactory systems of all species work in a similar way, the findings can be used to draw conclusions to the human sense of smell.

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